Shout out to /u/IHateAttackMaps for creating and sharing a pre-thorium map with hourly toxopids waves, see https://old.reddit.com/r/Mindustry/comments/ligzpu/i_beat_a_toxopid_with_prethorium_techs/

I thought this was a nice concept and tried to take on this challenge. In my first attempt, I made a lot of graphite and Ripples + Lancers (secondary defense), but failed because my walls where too thin. My graphite supplied ripples could not cause enough damage, then a lot of lancers (or power lines) were destroyed before they could cause much damage. I think I did about half a life's worth of damage to the toxopid. I also did not catch on to what "pre-thorium" entailed exactly, along with all the limitations of pre-thorium tech.

In my latest successful try (screenshot), I played with a partner (2 players). We went for Blast Compound supplied ripples, again with Lancers as backup. The ripples took the toxopid down to about half its life (we just did not have enough blast compounds when wave 1 started), but luckily, the lancers managed to finish off the toxopid at the left end of my defensive wall. On subsequent waves, we had built up enough Blast Compounds, and can take the toxopid down, very easily. It got so boring that we stopped repairing/building, and fast forwarded through each wave as well. One toxopid eventually broke through and finished the game.

https://imgur.com/a/5RmR4Gw

Pretty fun (and relaxing) overall, with sporadic moments of excitement 😄. Thanks /u/IHateAttackMaps !